...Using the same direct, tried and tested methods as the most prestigious and talented artists in history. In each of his creations, the engraver confirms, with class and humility, that man still holds the upper hand over matter. This is what he lives for, and his skilful, precise gestures impart life as if to transmit a soul, a spirit, a vision, a sensitivity and a movement that the weight of the solid metal reflects with not only force but grace, in both the symbol and the artistic value.

Nicolas Salagnac's creations have won a place in the hearts and lives of not only the greats of this world but also its ordinary people, bringing their creator the legitimacy and serenity that assure true artists of that rarest of gifts: a solid, enduring renown.

The man himself - complex, racked by the obligation to excel, torn between his many activities to promote "the cause", prey to doubt and a lack of assurance – must now wage a constant battle to convince himself that his name, his time and his style come at a price. The finished work is so striking, though, that its intrinsic worth is something customers not only understand and accept but also feel.

Even if we know nothing of the complexity and difficulty of the production process and all that the artist has poured into its creation, we cannot help but be overcome by admiration for what is obviously distinctive. The result is there, before us, intense and self-sufficient, and commands respect.

Yet this is a difficult time for Nicolas. Struggling with an aversion to anything resembling pretension, starved for recognition, full of humility and driven by a desire to pass on his skill, he is constantly striving to develop. He needs to stand back, come to terms with his talent, sell it at the right price, focus on the essential, channel his energy and strike the right balance between his work as an artist and his life as a family man.

There will always be people who love fine craftsmanship and who are happy to give or receive the fruit of the artist's toil and creative spark rather than the impersonal cost-effectiveness of high tech. Salagnac is the precious present of an art. He is also the future of our history. What more noble task ?
Yet no-one will give him a medal for that.
This little text is something of a personal tribute, ten years after our first meeting in the pages of this same publication.


Frédéric Guignard-Perret
"Lyon Citoyen" magazine